The number of global "unicorns" – private companies valued at $1 billion or more – surpassed 1,000 for the first time in 2021.
Nearly 600 companies reached unicorn status last year, averaging more than 10 a week, according to Crunchbase, a platform that collects data on private and public companies. More money than ever was directed to seed-, early- and late-stage startups in 2021, when global venture investment totaled $643 billion – up 92% year-over-year.
In comparison, just 167 companies reached billion-dollar-plus valuations in 2020.
And the numbers keep rising. There are now 1,148 companies on Crunchbase's Unicorn Board, including several ventures based in the South Florida area. Here are the local businesses that joined the ranks of unicorn ventures in 2021:
Aleph Holding: The Miami digital advertising firm had a $2 billion valuation in July after raising $470 million in a funding round led by CVC Capital Partners, which has offices across the world.
Elemy: The online platform, headquartered in Miami, connects users with in-home pediatric care for children with autism and behavioral health challenges. Elemy raised $323 million over three funding rounds and hit a $1.15 billion valuation last October.
HealthCare.com: The insurtech reached a $1 billion valuation in December after raising $212.5 million over six funding rounds. Miami-based HealthCare.com uses data and artificial intelligence to match individuals with health care products, including its own proprietary insurance plans and customizable insurance product bundles.
MoonPay: Founded in 2019, the Miami cryptocurrency infrastructure provider reached a $3.4 billion valuation in November after raising $555 million in venture capital. MoonPay creates software that lets people buy and sell cryptocurrency with credit and debit cards, mobile wallets and bank transfers.
Pipe: The fintech, which relocated to Miami from California in 2020, became one of the region's newest unicorns last May, when it reached a $2 billon valuation after a $250 million strategic equity round. Pipe is a revenue trading platform that allows businesses to treat recurring revenue streams as an asset and trade future recurring revenue into upfront capital.
Papa: The Miami elder tech firm had a $1.4 billion valuation in November after completing a $150 million funding round from investors. Papa is a "family-on-demand" platform that matches elder adults with young companions who assist them with transportation, light house chores, technology lessons, grocery delivery, prescription refills and pickups, and more.
ShipMonk: The Fort Lauderdale company had a valuation of at least $1 billion in January 2021 after completing a $65 million funding round, according to Crunchbase data. ShipMonk provides a variety of shipping and logistics services – such as order fulfillment and inventory tracking – for small- to medium-sized e-commerce businesses.
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